Skip links

yakmax

Relieve Restless Leg Syndrome

While recuperating from knee replacement, I began to experience a burning sensation, and intense itching, on different areas of my leg. This happened after retiring to bed, and often woke me at night. I’d scratch so much in my sleep, the areas would be raw and red in the morning. Sometimes my leg just ached, or I felt something was crawling on it.

My orthopedic surgeon had no idea what would cause this, and advised using moisturizing lotion. It didn’t help. My husband said he often observed my legs moving as I slept, and joked I must be dreaming of running marathons.

One day I mentioned my suffering to a friend, and I found out she had experienced the same thing. She sought help from her physician, and was diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome. Restless legs syndrome – National Library of Medicine I went to my family practice doctor, was diagnosed with RLS, and was advised on a course of treatment.

What Is Restless Leg Syndrome? (RLS)

It is a condition that causes intense discomfort, usually in both legs, but sometimes affects only one. It interferes with sleep, which leads to fatigue. A person afflicted with this can begin to physically and mentally spiral downward, which happened to me. The recuperation and therapy from my surgery was painful, and this new discomfort increased my stress and depression.

Many pre-existing medical conditions can contribute to RLS, including, but not limited to;

obesity

nerve disease

thyroid disorder

vitamin deficiency

varicose veins

heredity

stress and anxiety

Caffeine, alcohol, anti-depressants, and some allergy medications can make it worse. In my case, I drank coffee and tea daily, had fluctuating thyroid levels, and was experiencing stress and pain from my surgery. I also was taking an anti-depressant. To date, there is no known cause for RLS, and therefore, no known cure. nih.gov

Symptoms of RLS

burning

itching

crawling sensation

tingling

cramps

urge to move legs

deep ache

moving legs while asleep

Treatment

Get blood tests for deficiencies in vitamin B, folic acid, iron, and magnesium.